Has Thomas Frank found the missing piece to his puzzle in one of our youngest stars?
As much as I remain a big fan of Joao Palhinha, and while his partnership with Rodrigo Bentancur initially added a robustness to our defensive play in the first few games of the season, there was clearly an issue regarding how they linked with our attacking midfielders.
Enter Archie Gray.
After spending much of his debut season at Spurs playing out of position due to an unprecedented injury crisis, the Leeds academy product is finally being given an opportunity to flourish in his preferred role as a central midfielder.
Gray's statistics from Saturday's much-needed home win against Frank's former side Brentford were impressive.
Completing 31 out of the 33 passes he made, Gray was the most accurate passer on the pitch out of those who played 45 minutes or more. Significantly, five of his passes were directed into the final third.
The teenager did not neglect his defensive duties either â making two tackles, one interception, two recoveries and four clearances. No Brentford player succeeded in dribbling past Gray for the entire game.
These statistics show that, not only is Gray shining in his preferred position, but the combination of his astute reading of the game, competent defensive positioning, and confident forward play is all enabling his more attacking team-mates to sparkle. That fact was noted by Frank in his post-match interview.
In contrast, after losing possession six times, failing to complete any of his own dribbles, and being dribbled past on one occasion, Bentancur was swapped for Palhinha after 65 minutes.
So, the next decision for Frank is not if Gray should be in his starting XI, but rather what is the best supporting cast to perform alongside him?